This virtual seminar series focuses on technical topics related to terrorism risk assessment, modelling and mitigation.

The emphasis of the seminar series is on technical (STEM-related) aspects of this area, rather than social or political topics. Possible topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • blast modelling and response;
  • IEDs;
  • vehicles as weapons;
  • CBRN;
  • big data for risk assessment, security and screening;
  • mitigation measures.

Specific examples of topics included in the series range from single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analysis methods for blast response to modelling the use of vehicles as weapons via vehicle-dynamics models.

Participants in the series come from various academic, research and industrial organisations, including several universities and world-wide industry partners. The focus of the seminar series is in technical, STEM-related areas of counterterrorism research, but participants may have relevant expertise in a wide variety of subject areas, ranging from engineering to insurance.

Seminars have no security classification and are open to guests from bona fide organisations; we encourage external guests with appropriate affiliations to attend.

The series is currently held in a virtual format. Face-to-face or hybrid formats may be considered in the future.

Upcoming seminars   

Blast risk analyses to inform the Australian Government (Dr Ken Dale) – 16 July 2024

If you would like to register for the mailing list and receive seminar invitations, please complete and submit the online form.

Previous seminars 

Academia and Education's Role in National Counter Threat Capability Development (Dr David Crouch) - 19 June 2024 

Gram-scale explosions to inform numerical modelling and FREM development (Dr Adam Dennis and Dr Dain Farrimond Farley) - 25 March 2024

The application of simulation in the development and integration Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (Dr Jon Farley) - 29 January 2024

Full-scale tests subjected to blast loading (Dr María Chiquito) - 12 December 2023

Capability Management – a framework for managing the impact of terrorism (Stephen Johnson) - 23 November 2023

An overview of research on blast interaction with structures (Dr Obed Isaac) – 31 October 2023

CBRN knowledge management in the digital age (Dr Robert Gordon) – 20 September 2023

Safety of electrical grids against cyber-attacks (Dr Shailendra Singh) – 19 June 2023

Comparing current and emerging blast analysis software in the far field (Alastair Chester) – 23 May 2023

Behaviour of timber elements and connections subjected to blast loading (Prof Ghasan Doudak and Dr Christian Viau) – 20 April 2023

Home-Made Explosives (HME): How to understand the threats and model the risk? (Lt Col Francis Halleux, Cranfield University) – 20 March 2023

Leakage of Blast into Structures - Are We Overestimating the Risk? (Alex Eytan, Cranfield University) – 22 February 2023

Computational approaches to genetic engineering attribution – 18 January 2023

Viper::Blast - an introduction to modern blast CFD – 8 December 2022

Towards trustworthy machine learning methods – 11 November 2022

Accurate, fast and simplistic predictions of blast loads on buildings – 17 October 2022

CRIM-TRACK - portable sniffer for the detection of illicit chemicals – 1 September 2022

Development of quick-running methods for predicting blast loading in complex environments – 11 July 2022

Reasons that historical data underestimates the CBRN threat and what to do about it – 16 June 2022

Crossbows - an emerging threat? – 9 May 2022

Development of the Pitagone F11 rapid deployment system – 11 April 2022

Terrorism risk models in the insurance sector – 3 March 2022

SDOF analysis methods for blast response – 8 February 2022

Automated hostile vehicle vector analysis – 18 January 2022

Mailing list participants can request access to recordings of past seminars by emailing TRAMMSS@cranfield.ac.uk. To register for the mailing list, please complete and submit the online form.

Related academics

Chair, Dr Shaun Forth
Acting Secretary: Dr Erik Pickering
Secretary, Dr Stephanie Burrows

Technical Committee

Impact, Dr Rachael Hazael 
CBRN, Dr David Crouch 
Risk and Resilience, Dr Anastasia Filippidou
Big Data, Dr Adam Zagorecki
Vehicles, Ajay Kumar